Couple: you are attracted to people who look like you physically

“Faces are essential for identifying people, but they also contribute significantly to the assessment of physical attractiveness.” This is according to researchers from the University of Queensland (Australia) based on previous research. In a new study, scientists wanted to find out what facial features attract us to others.

2,285 interactions recorded during speed-dating sessions

For the purposes of the research, they recruited 682 people whose facial features were objectively measured. During speed-dating sessions, participants had to chat with a person of the opposite sex for three minutes. A total of 2,285 interactions were recorded. “After each exchange, the volunteers rated each other based on their attraction, kindness and understanding. We then analyzed their faces to estimate similarities between the partners,” said Amy Zhao, author of the work, in a statement.

An attraction to people “whose faces were geometrically similar to theirs”

According to the results, published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavioralmost half of the interactions were with people of the same ethnicity and the other half with partners of different ethnicities. “We found that participants considered adults whose faces were geometrically similar to their own more attractive. They were also more attracted to people of the same ethnicity than to volunteers of a different ethnicity,” explained the researcher. Clearly, participants were more attracted to people who looked like them.

Facial similarities help people feel comfortable

Another finding: people with similar facial features considered each other more likable, regardless of their ethnicity. “Our results suggest that faces that look alike elicit a sense of relatedness, which helps people feel comfortable, familiar with, and gravitate toward people who look like them. A better understanding of how people rate attraction could make dating and romantic relationships easier,” concluded Amy Zhao.